Carl Pei has in many ways been the public face of OnePlus, along with fellow co-founder Pete Lau. But today, after seven years with the company, Pei announced he was leaving in a blog post on OnePlus’ community forums. It’s unclear if there’s any specific reason for his departure.
Rumors have suggested Pei is moving on to a new venture. It’s not unreasonable to assume he might do so eventually, but Pei’s own post doesn’t suggest that’s a primary reason his reason for leaving:
“I’ve never regretted trusting my gut feeling, and this time it’s no different. These past years, OnePlus has been my singular focus, and everything else has had to take a backseat. I’m looking forward to taking some time off to decompress and catch up with my family and friends. And then follow my heart on to what’s next.”
Other, unsubstantiated rumors have suggested there was a falling out with Lau, but Pei thanked him in his post:
I am eternally grateful to Pete for taking a chance in this kid without a college degree, with nothing to his name but a dream. The trust, mentorship, and camaraderie will never be forgotten. Thanks for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Pei helped start OnePlus when he was 24 and has been one of the major players responsible for building the company’s brand, most recently spearheading the launch of the Nord line.
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Corporate gossip aside, I look forward to seeing where Pei ends up, but I hope he does take that time to decompress. We could all use it, after this year.
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